Analysing David Luiz's Early-Season Form for PSG
Into his second season with Paris Saint-Germain, David Luiz has enjoyed a good start to the current campaign.
Alongside fellow Brazilian and Les Parisiens’ captain Thiago Silva, the frizzy-haired Samba star has played an important role for what has been a largely frugal PSG back line both domestically and in Europe.
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Luiz has played in eight games across all competitions so far this term, six in Ligue 1 and two in the UEFA Champions League. In those six domestic outings, the 28-year-old has helped Laurent Blanc’s men keep five clean sheets, while he also contributed towards two more shutouts in continental competition.
On top of those seven clean sheets from eight games so far, Luiz also has one goal to his name. The Selecao star got himself on the scoresheet—albeit in extremely fortuitous fashion—in the 3-0 win away at Shakhtar Donetsk in Lviv last week.
Luiz and coach Blanc will be very pleased by the PSG No. 32’s early-season form, particularly when partnered with Silva. The only game in which the pair have not started together at the heart of defence was in the 3-0 home win over EA Guingamp.
The skipper did eventually make an appearance from the bench there, replacing Gregory van der Wiel and moving Marquinhos to right-back, but most of the job had already been done by the young Brazilian and Luiz.
While it has been a frustrating start to the season for Marquinhos, the facts and statistics back up Blanc’s Silva-Luiz pairing—for now, at least. Together the duo have only conceded one goal, and that came in last weekend’s 2-1 win over bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille in Le Classique.
Although it has been a largely faultless start to the campaign for Luiz, his role in OM’s consolation goal at Parc des Princes last Sunday deserves to come in for scrutiny.
Some slack marking from the Brazil international allowed Michy Batshuayi enough time and space to connect with an inch-perfect Abdelaziz Barrada cross and plant a strong header past Kevin Trapp in the PSG goal.
The hosts’ German goalkeeper, who would later go on to become the capital club’s hero with a penalty save from Barrada, should also share some of the blame. However, Luiz should have dealt with the cross better and should not have afforded Batshuayi as much time and space as he did.
Aside from that goal, there is little that Luiz can be faulted for. PSG’s defence has not had to be outstanding in most of their Ligue 1 games so far this season, but they have been resolute and well organised in the majority of their fixtures.
It is only when Luiz has been unavailable, in games such as the 2-2 draw at home to Girondins de Bordeaux and the 1-1 draw away at Stade de Reims, that Les Parisiens’ defensive solidity has gone missing.
The former Chelsea and SL Benfica man did not feature against Bordeaux, Reims or in the 4-1 win away at FC Nantes because of injury concerns, and that is one thing that has not changed much from last season.
In his debut campaign in Paris, Luiz was often hampered by injuries and niggling fitness concerns, and those issues still remain. Blanc even admitted (h/t L’Equipe in French) prior to last weekend’s clash with Marseille that the Brazilian is still suffering from small physical problems.
The South American made light of them and was able to start, but his regular unavailability is a nuisance for Le President and a source of encouragement for Marquinhos. Despite those fitness issues, it has been a solid start to the season overall for Luiz.
However, considering his fragile condition at present, playing an international double-header for Brazil against the likes of Chile and Venezuela in South American 2018 World Cup qualifying is not ideal from a PSG point of view.
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